Background -
- 6th studio album
- First album to feature Prince's band, the Revolution
- Released in June 1984
Genres considered -
Pop...R&B...Rock...Funk...Psychedelic...Soul...Gospel
My note - An extreme range of genres, but all combined together makes sense.
First Track - "Let's Go Crazy"
Last Track - "Purple Rain"
Critical Acclaim -
- Debuted at No. 11 in July 1984 on Billboard 200
- 1.5 million copies sold in the U.S. alone
- No. 1 in August 1984 on Billboard 200
Awards -
- Grammy Award (1984)
Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
- Grammy Award (1984)
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
- Grammy Award nomination (1984) for Album of the Year
- Academy Award (1985)
Best Original Song Score
Reception -
- As of 2008, Purple Rain has sold over 25 million copies worldwide.
- Certified 13x Platinum (Diamond) - 13 million copies sold
- Library of Congress's National Recording Registry (2012)
Sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important"
- 4 U.S. Top 10 singles -
"When Doves Cry" (No. 1)
"Let's Go Crazy" (No. 1)*
*Staple in concert performances ... Certified Gold (U.S.)
"Purple Rain" (No. 2)
"I Would Die 4 U" (No. 8)
Honors -
- Comparable to Michael Jackson and Madonna
- Time magazine -
15th greatest album of all time (1993)
- No. 18 on VH1's Greatest Rock and Roll Albums of All Time
- Rolling Stone -
Second best album of the 1980s
76th on 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
- Vanity Fair -
Best soundtrack of all time (2007)
Sales/Certification -
- 1.5 million copies sold in store within first week of release
- 25 million copies sold worldwide
- 2x Platinum in the UK (600,000 copies sold)
- Platinum in Switzerland (50,000 copies sold)
- 5x Platinum in New Zealand (75,000 copies sold)
- Platinum in the Netherlands (100,000 copies sold)
- 3x Gold in Germany (750,000 copies sold)
- Platinum in France (338,600 copies sold)
- 6x Platinum in Canada (600,000 copies sold)
(Source - Wikipedia)
My take away -
I will always remember the breaking news of Prince's death - unexpected, unsuspecting, and devastating. Every car radio played anything by Prince - especially "1999." I will always remember radio stations playing "1999" on the New Year's holiday. Prince was so loved by fans. His contribution to the music industry is profound and will last forever.
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